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This woman is completely unqualified for the position. As an Independent, I don't vote on party lines, and when such egregiously unfit candidates are put forward such as DeVos, I expect you to vote the same way- based on the facts at hand for each specific situation. The facts here were clear: she has never attended a public school, sent her children to a public school, taught (anywhere, ever), been an administrator (anywhere, ever), taken out a federal loan, had her children take out any federal loans, nor gotten a degree of any kind in the field of education. Forget about the fact that the for-profit charter schools she makes money off of are not even performing as well as their public school counterparts. Forget about the fact that she and her family have donated millions to religious groups that advocate for conversion therapy. Forget about the fact that she and her family have essentially bought the votes of Republican senators across the country via hundreds of millions of dollars in political campaign contributions. Even if you take away all of these other issues, which should each immediately disqualify her as a candidate, you still are left with the simple fact that she is unqualified, not knowledgeable about any kind of educational theory or operations, and has no respect for our nation's public school system. All of that information you had at your fingertips, even more than the public had, and you still made a terrible decision that shows the parents, children, teachers, administrators, and school board members of this country's public schools that you do not care about them or their futures. While I have little faith that you will, I hope that as you go into the next appointment hearings for other unfit nominees, you begin balancing true, correct, real facts to make your decisions instead of continuing to be driven by your own, or your party's, agenda. We are watching every move you make. If your seat is up for grabs in 2018, I can assure you that every terrible decision you make, like this confirmation, will come back to get you. We, the American people, are watching, and waiting; and Karma can be a powerful force.

I'm absolutely appalled by the GOP Senate members refusal to listen to their constituents on this matter. While the president has the right to appoint cabinet members when he appoints someone so blatantly unqualified the Senate should have said no. Your actions, or lack thereof, are being watched and I can assure you, they will be remembered. Country above party, your oath is to the Constitution not the president and not your party.

SHAME ON YOU!!!! You had a record number of calls from your constituents (aka the people YOU work FOR) to reject Betsy Devos for Secretary of Education yet you still voted this dangerously unqualified person into a position of authority over our most precious resource---our beautiful children. I am so disappointed in you. You are out 2018. I am a mom to 2 little ones, 4 and 8 months. How dare you compromise their future! Public education is a RIGHT in this country for ALL children. Bye bye!

Start representing the people of this country and stop pandering to special interest and financial donors. The US Congress is a disgrace! Ignoring your constituents' wishes will not get you re-elected, but you don't care- you are financially set for life! You should be ashamed of yourselves!

I'd like to share what is to me perhaps the most troubling part of the new secretary of education's agenda. I'm a special-education director for a school district so I take this part very seriously. When voucher systems pay for people to buy their way out of their public education districts and buy their way into private schools, private schools only have to accept those they choose to. They only have to educate those they choose to. When parents are left to choose schools, they look at the scores of those public schools and find that the students who are left are students who are challenging to educate, and the next round of selection goes on. Essentially this becomes a process of segregation. Students with advantages, financial and academic, continue to select to go elsewhere while children with disabilities and financial difficulties continue to stay in disadvantaged public schools. Her agenda is not one of choice but one of segregation and exploitation. Please work to fight against this segregation. Please preserve the public schools.

Senator Joe Donnelly & Todd Young, thank you to the one who stood firmly and voiced his concern on this nomination. Thank you to the Senator that listened to " the people". Thank you to the Senator that put our children's best interest before the money that could line his pockets. I am ashamed and disgusted at the Republican Party. Your willingness to vote " Yes" on EVERY issue, regardless of what is best for our country, our climate and our rights is predictable of someone who is being paid to do so. Our once great nation has lost its respectability and that is because of shameful acts such as yours. A cowardly act! Senator Donnelly, thank you for being a voice for most of us. And to " the other" one, you will not serve more than one term!

I am disgusted with your votes to approve DeVos! I will NOT be voting for either Hatch or Lee again! Neither of you listened to your constituents! As a parent and an educator, I feel disheartened with our Senate's decision to approve her! This was one candidate that almost all of America agreed! You did NOT listen!!! Respectfully, Andrea Wiley 84003

It's obvious that Republicans don't care what the majority of people want. They received many calls, texts, emails from Republican & Democrat voters that they did not support DeVos' confirmation. I hope voters remember this in 2018.

Where is the outrage that a totally unqualified person BOUGHT her way into this position? Is anyone going to investigate this or is this how a democracy is run? Are ethics a thing of the past? Of so, how far back? To our founding fathers? This is not right or fair to the American people!!!

I am disappointed by the appointment of this unqualified candidate to lead the American education system. She lacks knowledge, has financial conflicts of interest, did not perform well at her confirmation hearings, believes in blurring the lines of separation of church and state...these are just a few of the reasons. I only hope that this department has enough knowledgeable people in it to lead her down a not so destructive path.

To Senator Nelson: Thank you for voting NO on Betsy DeVos. As the parent of a special needs child, and the product of a public school, I appreciate your stand against the unqualified nominee of an unqualified President.
To Senator Rubio: I am horrified and disgusted that you would stoop so low as to accept a bribe from such an unqualified candidate in order to confirm her for a position that she knows literally nothing about. If money is so important to you, please be advised that any and all contributions I make in the next Senate election will be for your opponent.

Betsy DeVos is the worst possible pick for Secretary of Education. She has never attended a public school, never sent her children to a public school, and never taught or been an administrator in a public school. Instead, she has familial ties to the billion-dollar charter school industry and helped create Detroit’s failing charter-school system. Her controversial statements about relaxing child labor laws and reforming education to “advance God’s kingdom" are thoroughly inappropriate for someone aspiring to public office. We cannot have someone with Ms. DeVos' lack of experience, conflicts of interest, and personal agendas setting education policy, administering student loans, and enforcing and protecting students' rights. The Department of Education is charged with ensuring equal access to education for EVERYONE--not just the well-off who can afford the luxury of choice.

The confirmation of someone so utterly and obviously unqualified makes crystal clear that the Republican Party values power and money above all else. She was opposed across the board by experts, parents, and teachers. You should be ashamed.

It's incredibly disheartening that people in the senate clearly are not listening to the American people. No wonder people are losing faith in our democratic system so rapidly. Education is and should be a non-partisan issue and should be kept separate from issues of religious institutions. Evidence of what happened to the charter schools in Michigan should have been more than enough to take this ignorant woman out of the ring, but obviously republicans are too deep in her pockets to be paying attention. Democrats.. What the hell are you doing?? Get in there and stop milking the fact you got your asses kicked. Fight harder, stop being cowards. We are taking names and don't think we won't remember all of this November 2018. I wouldn't get comfortable if I were you.

This vote revealed the profound corruption of our democracy. Devos is gravely lacking in the experience to hold any public office for the well being of children. IDEA is critical federal law, Devos is uninformed and unable to fulfill the position she is now positioned. From all my experience in education giving power to those unprepared results in unintended hardship for children.

Trump can't seem to find a qualified Education Nominee who also gave $200 million to Republicans. Way to "drain the swamp". Another unqualified elitist joins his cabinet. Bad plan, so sad. Will blame you!